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Facebook's interest in the AR smart glasses was telegraphed by Mark Zuckerberg at the company's developer conference in 2016. A new report released today reveals some details about Facebook's "Orion" project and a possible schedule.
According to CNBC, Facebook's glasses have the internal code name "Orion". The project is being developed by Facebook Reality Labs – which essentially integrated the skunkworks group of Regina Dugan Building 8 – in Redmond, Washington.
The social network wants the device to replace smartphones, with a small screen allowing users to take calls, stream live feeds to friends and view other information.
User input would be handled by a voice assistant developed by the same team. Facebook has also experimented with a "ring device", named "Agios", which uses a motion sensor to give users another input method.
According to today's report, Facebook has "struggled" to miniaturize "the device into a form factor that will appeal to consumers." CNBC has also announced a partnership with Luxottica, which owns several eyewear brands like Ray-Ban and Oakley, to help with development.
Between 2023 and 2025, Facebook would aim to prepare smart glasses for consumers, but there is ultimately no guarantee. That said, Zuckerberg asked equipment manager Andrew Bosworth to prioritize development.
9to5Google's Take
The most interesting part of today's report is how Facebook wants to replace smartphones with smart glasses. In many ways, this new form factor would give the social media company an opportunity to control an end-to-end hardware and software platform without going through Android or iOS.
However, this push for an autonomous gadget that hosts both processing and connectivity may delay Facebook's efforts. According to the latest rumors, Apple's competing product would be tied to the iPhone, which looks a lot like the first-generation Apple Watch. Microsoft HoloLens and Magic Leap One are very large stand-alone devices.
Rumors about Google's efforts in smart glasses have been very quiet compared to Apple, Microsoft and now Facebook. The Google AR & VR division seems very quiet, with most developments being for augmented reality based on the phone and setting up service bases.
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